Old Dominion Sets New ACM Award Record, Announces 13-Track Album ‘Barbara’

Old Dominion has officially announced their sixth studio album, Barbara, slated for release on Aug. 22. The project comes on the heels of their record-setting eighth consecutive win as Country Music Association Vocal Group of the Year, further cementing their influence in modern country music.

Comprised of Matthew Ramsey, Brad Tursi, Trevor Rosen, Geoff Sprung, and Whit Sellers, the band spent the past two years developing Barbara. According to Ramsey, the album is their most intimate and emotionally revealing yet, shaped by a mixture of personal experiences, including loss, love, and health challenges.

“We didn't want to get all heavy,” says lead singer Matthew Ramsey. “But I think the feeling good means more when you're looking life straight in the eye. So much is illusion or what we tell ourselves it is, sometimes, if you look in your heart, though, reality is even richer. And I think that's as much the point as anything.”

Barbara contains 13 tracks, including previously released singles “Me Most Nights” and “Making Good Time,” both of which explore the complexities of self-reflection and emotional resilience. Notable additions include “Miss You Man,” a poignant tribute to late songwriter and friend Andrew Dorff, and “Goodnight Music City,” a contemplative nod to their relationship with Nashville.

In partnership with Shane McAnally, Barbara is an album that shows off Old Dominion's combined country-pop-rock sound and their tendency to write about getting older, the dying process, and finding meaning in both the struggles and triumphs of life.

Alongside working on music, the band recently started a bar in Nashville called Odies to honor their past as songwriters and also remain connected to their dedicated fans. Despite having the accolades of the industry, Ramsey emphasizes that the intention of the band is to focus on authenticity and relationship-building.

Barbara promises to provide a more personal layer to the upbeat energy Old Dominion is known for, offering its fans a more worthwhile and sober listening experience of honesty and hope.